St. Veronica CES

Trustees: L. del Rosario and T. Thomas

Superintendent: L. Odo

Principal: N. Laporte

Head Secretary: L. Magi

Email: VeronInfo@dpcdsb.org

Website: dpcdsb.org

Location: 680 Novo Star Dr., Mississauga, ON L5W 1C7
Phone: 905-696-6980

O God of Love, We thank you for what you have given us to enjoy;

For healthy minds and bodies, for love, for family, for friendship;

For every gift of happiness.

We praise you for those who help us by their example and encouragement;

Especially those who have given their lives to the cause

of justice and freedom.

Help us, for whom their efforts were given, to make their sacrifice

worthwhile by the way we live our lives in loving others.

May we always strive to follow your example and work

towards creating a peaceful world.

Help us have peace through full reconciliation and cooperation with

God's will for us and all those with whom we live.

We ask this in Jesus' name,

Amen.

November is a month of transitions and change. The clocks will be moving back, the leaves have fallen and the preparations for winter are beginning.

The month of October provided us with many opportunities to live out our school motto: "Enter to Learn, Prepare to Serve." The virtue of empathy was clearly demonstrated as we provided food for the needy through our Thanksgiving Food Drive and brought in clothing for our Winter Clothing Drive. It was wonderful to see the entrance of the school filled with so many boxes of donated items.

Our school continues to be a place where students excel. Students have settled into the routines of school. Progress reports are about to be sent home. We are very proud of all of our student athletes who participated in cross country and represented our school so well. It was also a pleasure to see so much school spirit with so many of our staff and students dressing up for Halloween. We thank our Catholic School Council and all the parent volunteers for making Halloween such a huge success.

As we enter into the month of November, we are reminded of the importance of Remembrance. We are provided with an opportunity to reflect on the importance of the feast days of All Saints Day, All Souls Day and of Remembrance Day. These three events help remind us, as a Catholic school system, of the importance of celebrating our faith.

It is appropriate that conscience is the virtue of the month. We are called to do the right thing, and pray for God's guidance to make informed decisions. Our children are reminded to have the courage to stand up for the values they are taught at home and at school. It is a time when we need to reflect and share the light in our hearts and continue to be peacemakers in our own community.

On behalf of the staff of St. Veronica Catholic School, we look forward to our journey together as we continue to grow to join in faith, peace, service, and love. During this time of remembrance, reflection, and anticipation, we would like to thank you for your ongoing support.

Together in faith,

N. Laporte

Principal

We thank Trustee del Rosario and Trustee Thomas for their continued support of St. Veronica CES.

Please see below for their newsletter.

The St. Veronica Catholic School Council met for the first time this year on October 3. Congratulations to the newly elected/appointed members of our School Council. We are so blessed to have such a dedicated group of individuals with which to collaborate!

2024-2025 Catholic School Council Members

Jessica Wong – Chair

Marion de los Reyes – Treasurer

Jacquie Wallace – Co-Secretary

Linda Bedrossian – Co-Secretary

Susana Pulla – Parish Representative

Andrea Savva-Nunes – OAPCE Representative

Rachel Archangel-Sabarillo – Community Representative

We would like to extend a huge thank you to our Catholic School Council volunteers who helped make this Halloween extra special. Students loved decorating their class pumpkins (and individual pumpkins), getting dressed up and enjoying a Halloween dance capped off with a special treat for everyone. Smiles were seen all around.

Our council would like to extend a special thank you to: Loblaws, Heartland for their generous donations to our Halloween celebrations.

The next council meeting will be Thursday, November 21 at 6:30 pm in hybrid form (in the school library and through Zoom). All are welcome to attend.

The Catholic School Council is in the process of wrapping up our chocolate fundraiser for the year. Please submit your payment through School Cash Online.

Thank you to all the families that participated this year. We are grateful for all the ways you support St. Veronica.

The Catholic School Council is excited to bring back an easy fundraising opportunity for our school called FlipGive!

FlipGive works like a cashback bonus program (similar to Rakuten), where you can earn money for our school simply by making all your favourite purchases by going through the FlipGive Link/App and/or by purchasing gift cards (e-cards) through the FlipGive Link/App. FlipGIve is accessible on your device or your phone.

Shop anytime with the brands you already love like Home Depot, Walmart, Amazon, Sport Chek, Indigo, Old Navy, Apple, Esso, and Loblaws. Just make sure you go through the FlipGive Link/App and our school will get the cashback! It’s completely virtual and contactless.

Join our team now and you’ll get a $5 bonus the first time you shop. This is the link: St. Veronica FLIPGIVE LINK and enter our TEAM code: 6VPW62

*When signing up, it will ask you to select a player. Please select "No player - support a team". (If you add your child's name, it will add them to a dropdown list that everyone can see.)

You can also share our FlipGive! link with family and friends and they can use it to earn money for our school with their shopping as well.

All funds raised with go towards the purchase of technology and additional gym equipment.

November 4 - 8 - Treaties Recognition Week

November 5 - Grade 8 Junior Achievement

November 6 - Photo Re-Take Day

November 6 - Grade 8 Transition Day at St. Marcellinus

November 7 - Grade 8 Open House at St. Marcellinus

November 7 - Grade 4s Trip to the Zoo

November 11 - Remembrance Day (liturgy and ceremony)

November 11 - Vision/Hearing Screening

November 12 - Progress Reports go home

November 12 - 13 - Sewing Studio

November 14 - Interview evening

November 14 - Winter Clothing Trade Night

November 14 - 18 - Dental Screening (JK, SK, Grades 2, 4, 7)

November 19 - Rosary Apostolate

November 18 -22 - Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week

November 21- Catholic School Council Meeting

November 22 - PA Day

November 26 - Immunization - Grade 7/8

Mass Schedule

Saturday Vigil Mass: 5:00 pm

Sunday Mass: 7:30 am, 9:00 am, 10:30 am, 12:00 pm, 1:30 pm

Daily Masses

Monday to Friday Mass 8:00 am, 7:00 pm

Saturday Mass 7:30 am

Email: stfrancisxaviermi@archtoronto.org
Website: https://stfrancisxaviermi.archtoronto.org/en/
Location: 5650 Mavis Road, Mississauga, ON L5V 2N6
Phone: 905-890-5290

If you are new to the community, you are encouraged to register with the Parish.

We encourage any new families to our school community to contact the parish to inquire about registering for these sacraments.

First Reconciliation

The First Reconciliation Celebration for our students will take place at St. Francis Xavier Parish. Please contact the Parish website.

First Holy Communion

First Holy Communion for our grade 2 students will be held at St. Francis Xavier Parish. Please contact the Parish website.

Confirmation

Confirmation for our grade 7 students will take place at St. Francis Xavier Parish. Please contact the Parish website.

We thank Father Andrew and his parish team for their continued support and generosity as we work to build our church community.

"But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith."

Galatians 5:22

During the month of November, we focus on the virtue of conscience.

God helps us to choose to be good people.

A person of conscience...

• chooses to do the right thing, even when it is hard
• takes time to think and pray before making decisions
• knows that their actions and decisions affect all those around them
• thinks of others before themselves

Conscience is the voice of God within us. As you develop your conscience, you will learn to make decisions that encourage and support truly loving relationships. Our conscience reminds us how to act towards other people and how to be a good friend. Sometimes it is hard for us to do the right thing, but we must always remember that the right thing to do is not always the easy thing to do.

Let us now pray...for the grace and strength to be people of conscience - people who know the good and decent way to act, and then choose to act that way. Amen.

I am a believer!

• I believe that God is an awesome God!
• I believe and have faith in God
• I believe that God is with us always
• I believe that we can talk to God anytime and anywhere, through prayer
• I believe in the stories of the Bible
• I believe in the stories of Jesus' life, death and resurrection
• I believe in the Church community, celebrating mass, and the seven sacraments
• I believe in forgiveness

Because I am a believer, I will live my life like Jesus.

November is a month of remembrance of All Saints, All Souls, veterans and service men and women. We would like to invite our St. Veronica families and staff to include the names of their loved ones that have gone before us, in our Book of Remembrance. We will display our book in the foyer of our school and we will keep our loved ones in our prayers as a school community.

For the past 25 years, the Rosary Apostolate has been creating a 'positive experience of prayer' which students enjoy and remember for years to come. Students never find praying the rosary boring because the goal of the Rosary Apostolate is to make 'praying the rosary' a truly 'inspiring' and interesting experience for students. They are provided time to reflect and ponder at every decade of the rosary. We are fortunate to have the Rosary Apostolate visiting St. Veronica once a month.

On November 11, Canadians all across the country pause in a silent moment of remembrance of the men and women who served our country during wartime. We honour those who fought for Canada in the First World War, the Second World War, and the Korean War. Everybody stands in silence as they remember the more than 100,000 brave Canadians who were killed. They gave their lives and their future so that we may live in peace. World War One Armistice was signed on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. That is why November 11th is called Remembrance Day.

Our school will pay tribute to those who gave their lives for freedom on Monday, November 11 at our school beginning at 10:45 am. Poppy stickers will be distributed to all students and we will be making a donation to the Veterans' Association.

We welcome you to join us for this occasion.

Many of our students volunteer to take on leadership roles in areas such as kindergarten helpers, office helpers, school clubs and in our Wellness Committee. We are very proud of our students. They willingly offer their time and talents to benefit others. We look forward to continue working together to make everyone feel welcomed, accepted, cared for and safe.

We would like to thank all of our parents/guardians for their cooperation with regards to our Kiss and Ride program. Please be reminded that safety must be the primary concerns for all trying to drive into the school lot. We appreciate everyone's cooperation, support, patience and understanding as we continue to strive to make our Kiss and Ride program a safe and efficient process.

We thank all drivers who move right up to the top of the kiss and ride lane. Please do not leave your vehicle unattended in the kiss and ride lane (unless you are dropping off a kindergarten student).

Daily attendance and punctuality are important. Thank you to all parents/guardians who have been using the Safe Arrival website and/or app when your child is absent.

Please continue to use the Safe Arrival School Messenger program to report absences and/or lates.

The safety of all children is a primary concern. As you are aware, we do have a buzzer entry system. We ask that all visitors, including parents/guardians come to the office through the front door (using the buzzer). In doing so, we will be able to welcome you, and ask you to sign in.

Please be aware that in the morning at 8:30 am, we do have our morning opening exercises which include O Canada and prayer. We may not be able to get the buzzer right away at this time. We thank you for your cooperation in this very important protocol.

The days are getting colder and pretty soon winter will arrive. It is important for students to come prepared to participate in all activities, including outdoor recess. We ask that students dress appropriately for colder weather by having coats, hats, scarves, boots and mittens or gloves.

For health and safety, we ask that all students have indoor shoes. Please note that in the event of an emergency evacuation, students will not have the opportunity to put boots on. Thank you for your support in this matter.

During the winter season, parents/guardians are often concerned as to how we determine when children will or will not be allowed outside for recess. On extremely cold days, we obtain information from Environment Canada and follow Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board's policy.

Board policy states the amount of time outdoors should be reduced for children (grade 8 and under) when the temperature is minus 20 degrees Celsius or colder. When the temperature or equivalent wind chill temperature is minus 25 degrees Celsius or lower children shall be kept indoors.

With the exceptions of these occasions, all children will go out for recess and the lunch break. We remind all students to dress appropriately for the weather.

STOPR (Student Transportation of Peel Region) provides bus transportation for our students. The STOPR website is www.stopr.ca. This website provides access to up to date information regarding delayed buses and bus cancellations.

Thank you to all parents/guardians who completed the school board process for the Courtesy Seat Bus Request. Courtesy seat requests have been processed. Parents are reminded that courtesy seats are not guaranteed for the year and they may be rescinded at any time as new situations or enrollments arise. Please remember that this process must be conducted annually for students not normally eligible to ride the bus.

Please see the attached newsletter from STOPR regarding important information about riding the bus in winter.

Please note: we belong to Zone 1.

St. Veronica is an allergen aware school. We have a number of students in our school who have severe allergic life-threatening reactions to peanut butter, peanut oils, any peanut/nut by-products and dairy products. As in the past, we are asking you to not put any child at risk, therefore, requesting that peanuts, peanut butter, peanut oils, any peanut/nut by-products not be brought into the school. We ask that you read the labels of all food items sent to school. A letter was sent home in September which addressed this issue for each particular class.

We are asking parents not to send food items to school when celebrating your child's birthday and consider an alternative such as pencils, stickers, etc. We thank you for your continued understanding.

Parents are responsible for ensuring that all medication and forms are updated annually. If your child requires medication, please have all pertinent forms completed and returned to the office as soon as possible. Please see the office or link below for the necessary form to be filled out.

JK/SK medications are stored in the classroom.

Students in grades 1 - 8 are required to carry their own medication in a fanny pack. If you wish to submit additional medication to the office, please send it as soon as possible.

Please ensure your child is sent to school with his/her medication.

Even when it appears to be insignificant, we try to inform parents/guardians of all reported head injuries at school. We do this in recognition of the potential danger of any injury involving the head area. Our intent is not to alarm you, but to keep you informed. Please remind your child to let a staff member know if they bump their head or if they get hurt at school.

It is flu season and we want to make sure students stay as healthy as possible this year. Influenza (flu) spreads easily from one person to another and Peel Public Health has some tips to help reduce the risk of catching the flu and spreading it:

• Get your annual flu shot: the flu shot is your best defense against the flu. There are many locations across Peel where you can get your flu shot (doctor office, walk-in clinic, pharmacy, flu shot clinics)
• Keep children home when they are sick: if your child develops flu-like signs and symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills or fatigue), keep them home from school. Contact your health care provider if symptoms are severe.
• Practice good hygiene: help your child get into the habit of covering their nose and mouth with a tissue when they cough or sneeze and throw tissues in the garbage. Cough or sneeze into a sleeve or elbow, if they don't have a tissue. They should also avoid touching their eyes, nose or mouth. This is how germs are spread.
• Wash your hands: encourage your child to wash their hands often with soap and water or use hand sanitizer, especially after they cough or sneeze.

For more information, please visit Peel Public Health's website.

Did you know?

Too much screen time increases your child’s risk of becoming:

• Sleep-deprived.
• Less school-ready.
• Inattentive.
• Aggressive.
• Nearsighted (when objects farther away look blurry).

Tips for Managing Screentime:

• Encourage and participate in face-to-face interactions such as shared reading, outdoor play, board games, and crafts.
• Turn off screens when not in use and avoid background TV use.
• Model screen time use around children and minimize your own use during mealtimes and play.

Reminder: All children 19 years of age or younger are eligible for an OHIP-covered eye exam by an optometrist each year.

The Black Excellence Success Team (B.E.S.T) is hosting the 3rd annual Black Excellence Professionals Expo on Wednesday, November 6, 2024, at Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School in Brampton, Ontario. Doors will be open to students, parents and guardians, and community members at 6:00 p.m. The Expo is an opportunity for Black students to meet Black professionals and mentors in a career-fair atmosphere. Students and families are invited to attend this event, which aims to build community and provide students with an opportunity to talk to professionals from a variety of fields. The evening will include Black professionals from various industries, a keynote speaker, interactive photo booths, a DJ and so much more.

Date: Wednesday, November 6, 2024

Time: 6:00 to 8:30 p.m.

Location: Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School

2 Notre Dame Avenue

Brampton ON, L6Z 4L5

Program overview: Black representation matters; and is key to addressing and eliminating Anti-Black Racism. In response to Dufferin-Peel’s Catholic Community, Culture and Caring survey data, and as part of the Multi-Year Strategic plan, the B.E.S.T committee is creating opportunities and affinity spaces for Black youth, staff, and the broader community to have a voice, feel affirmed and share lived experiences. This event is designed to build bridges with Black businesses, support post-secondary pathways, and connect students with professionals from a variety of industries.

Invitation: Please view the guest invitation.

Registration: Register at this link / or QR code: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfYu4gGzpm9tiDF0ulvC2KQdNHlGNzGLTR1tdc_dYJi-OC3DA/viewform

All students and families are welcome. All guests are required to register to enter.

Grade 4 parents/guardians who wish to learn more about Extended French or wish to enroll their child in a Grade 5 Extended French program for September 2025, are invited to attend an information meeting at one of the following virtual parent evening sessions.

BRAMPTON, CALEDON & DUFFERIN

Holy Family (Caledon/Bolton)

St. Andrew (Orangeville)

St. Anne (Brampton West)

St. Jean Brebeuf (Brampton East)

St. Monica (Brampton Central)

Session Date & Time: Tuesday, November 5, 2024 at 7:00 pm

Virtual Extended French Information Session, #1 Microsoft Teams Live Meeting #1 Link

MISSISSAUGA

San Lorenzo Ruiz (Miss. Central)

St. Christopher (Miss. South)

St. Philip (Miss. Southeast)

St. Rose of Lima (Miss North Central)

St. Therese of the Child Jesus (Miss. North)

St. Thomas More (Miss. East)

Session Date & Time: Thursday, November 7, 2024

Virtual Extended French Information, Session #2 Microsoft Teams Live Meeting #2 Link

Parents and guardians are welcome to attend the FREE evening event that brings together the best in skilled trades professionals across industry organizations, post-secondary institutions, businesses, associations and more. The event is an opportunity to learn about what careers are available.

It takes place on Tuesday, November 26, 2024 between 3:00 and 7:30 pm. See attached flier for more details.

Friday, November 22 is a professional activity day for staff. There will be no school for students. Staff will be involved in professional learning.

Students will bring their Progress Report cards home on Tuesday, November 12. Along with the Progress Report, you may receive a confirmation time for your Progress Report Conference. The Progress Report is designed to show a student's development of learning skills and work habits, as well as a student's general progress in working towards the achievement of curriculum expectations in all subject areas. Interviews will be held on the evening of Thursday, November 14.

Progress Reports for will be sent home to parents on Tuesday, November 12, 2024. Interviews will be held on the evening of Thursday, November 14, 2024.

To improve the way we book interviews, we’ve purchased the license to an on-line booking system that we believe will help parents and staff. It makes it much easier to book an interview, and so much easier to book several interviews and coordinate times.

While interviews at progress reporting time is not mandatory, should you wish to see your child’s teacher, please use the link below.

St. Veronica is a community that loves to collect things! Even more than collecting, St. Veronica loves to share what we collect! Therefore, all families are invited to drop by our gym on Thursday, November 14 from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. to browse all of the winter clothing and freely take any items that may be of use to you or your family. Come join us that evening!

Thank you for all those who brought in items for our Winter Clothing Giveaway Drive.

Please see the link below for the Thrive Community Newsletter for November.

If your child was absent on picture day, they will be able to have their photo taken on retake day. Retakes are scheduled for Wednesday, November 6.

St. Veronica will participate in a variety of classroom activities to recognize and bring awareness to the treaty relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in the province. The first week of November will be known as Treaty Recognition Week.

Did you know?

Ontario is covered by 46 treaties and other agreements, such as land purchases by the Crown signed between 1781 and 1930.

Treaties are the legally binding agreements that set out the rights, responsibilities and relationships of Indigenous people and the federal and provincial governments.

We will be collecting any extra Halloween candy from November 1 - 8. All Halloween treats (candy, chocolates, chips) collected will be donated to Dr. Simone’s Canadian Food for Children (CFFC).

Please support this worthy cause by donating your unwanted/extra Halloween candy.

We are thrilled to have the Sewing Studio (https://www.originalroland.com/sewing ) come to St. Veronica on November 12 and 13. It is a dynamic, engaging sewing workshop that breaks the creative mold, smashes stereotypes, and inspires and uplifts students, all while teaching a valuable life skill. The Studio helps children from kindergarten to grade 8 gain a broadened perspective of experiencing and learning where everyone starts on the same playing field, where there are no wrong answers, and where every child achieves success.

Here’s how it works:

· The Sewing Studio brings approximately 30 sewing machines and an all-star team to St. Veronica

· Students from kindergarten to grade 8 learn how to sew using a sewing machine

· Each student completes a fun, personalized project from start to finish

· The all-star team guides each student through success, working on a 1:5 ratio

· Students gain confidence, develop their growth mindset all while being motivated, uplifted, and inspired!

See below for more information.

If you have any questions, please contact the office.

Ontario has designated the week beginning on the third Sunday of November as Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week to help promote safe schools and a positive learning environment. Bullying is defined as a form of repeated, persistent and aggressive behaviour directed at an individual or individuals that is intended to cause (or should be known to cause) fear and distress and/or harm to another person's body, feelings, self-esteem or reputation. Bullying occurs in a context where there is a real or perceived power imbalance.

Bullying can take different forms, including

• Physical - hitting, shoving, stealing or damaging property
• Verbal - name calling, mocking, or making sexist, racist or homophobic comments
• Social - excluding others from a group or spreading gossip or rumours about them
• Electronic (commonly known as cyberbullying) - spreading rumours and hurtful comments through the use of cellphones, e-mail, text messaging and social networking sites

At St. Veronica, we work collaboratively and very hard to create and maintain a safe, caring, inclusive and healthy environment for all. To this end, our staff have been planning and organizing a number of initiatives and activities to benefit our community. Some of these include presentations for our students, celebrating and highlighting various awareness days, and continued messages during daily announcements. At St. Veronica, we continue to focus on the message of acceptance and belonging. After all, 'We all belong to God's family.'

"Let us allow God to fill our hearts with His goodness and mercy."

- Pope Francis

We are lucky to have both intermediate girls and intermediate boys volleyball teams up and running. They have been building skills and are ready to take on the other schools in the upcoming pod tournaments. We wish them the best of luck.

A special thank you to all of the coaches including Mrs. Jones and Mr. Romen.

A big congratulations goes out to the entire Cross Country Team! We are extremely proud of your performance at the Family Meet at Erindale Park. You all showed such determination and perseverance throughout your races. Many of you ran personal bests!

We loved how many of you cheered each other on and encouraged others to keep going. Your displays of great sportsmanship make us extremely proud.

Thank you to the coaches - Ms. Occhiuto, Mrs. Weiditch and Mme. Bozzo.

Students will have the opportunity to take field trips and participate in a number of extra-curricular activities. Permission forms will be sent home to be filled out, signed and returned to school. Students will require written consent from their parent/guardian to participate. Verbal consent over the telephone will not be accepted. There are no exceptions to this process.

We are always looking for volunteers to attend school trips. If you are interested in volunteering on a trip, you will need to have a Police Vulnerable Sector Check.

Please be aware that the current processing time for Peel Regional Police Checks is approximately 25 business days (5-6 weeks). Please request a School Authorization letter before applying to Peel Police.

Please use the link below to start your application. There is a fee.

If you are unsure whether you have a current Vulnerable Sector Check, please contact the school.